Climate change is already causing all sorts of problems on Earth, but soon it will be making a mess in orbit around the planet too, a new study finds.
Scientists at MIT have determined that ongoing global warming due to the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas could decrease the usable area for satellites in low Earth orbit by between one-third and 82 percent by the end of this century, based on varying levels of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.
This is due to the fact that outer space will get increasingly cluttered with debris as climate change reduces nature’s ability to clean it up.
In what ways is climate change diminishing the available space for satellites?
A portion of the greenhouse effect that heats the air close to Earth’s surface simultaneously has a cooling impact on the higher layers of the atmosphere, where space begins and satellites orbit at low altitudes.
The reduction in temperature leads to a decrease in density within the upper atmosphere, thereby decreasing the drag.
millions of fragments of artificial waste
and satellites.
That drag pulls
space junk
From Earth downward, incinerating everything during transit. However, with a colder and less dense higher atmosphere, space doesn’t cleanse itself as effectively, leading to increased crowding in orbit, as reported in Monday’s edition of the journal Nature Sustainability.
We depend on the atmosphere to clear away our space junk,” explained Will Parker, the study’s lead author and an astrodynamics researcher at MIT. “There isn’t another method for eliminating this debris.” He added, “Think of it as waste—garbage—and there are millions upon millions of these fragments floating around.
The density at an altitude of 400 kilometers above Earth is declining by approximately 2 percent each decade, noted Ingrid Cnossen, a space weather scientist with the British Antarctic Survey who wasn’t involved in this study. This reduction is expected to become even more pronounced as societies continue to release greater amounts of pollutants.
greenhouse gas
into the atmosphere.
Cnossen stated in an email that the new research “makes perfect sense” and underscores why scientists must consider the impact of climate change driven by orbital variations. This awareness is crucial so they can implement suitable actions to secure its long-term viability.
What quantity of debris is orbiting Earth?
Orbiting our planet are millions of space debris fragments measuring 3 millimeters and bigger — roughly equivalent to two stacked pennies — which can strike with the force comparable to a bullet impact.
According to The Aerospace Corporation, which tracks space debris, there are tens of thousands of marble-sized fragments of orbiting trash moving at such speeds that they pack the impact force of a colliding bus. This detritus comprises remnants from past collisions in space as well as components shed by rockets; much of this material is too diminutive to monitor effectively.
According to the tracking site Orbiting Now, there are 11,905 satellites currently orbiting Earth, with 7,356 of them in low orbit. These satellites play a vital role in communication, navigation, and weather prediction.
monitoring environmental
and national security issues.
Parker stated, “There was once a belief that outer space is vast, leading us to think we could neglect environmental stewardship since our surroundings were essentially boundless.”
However, a satellite collision in 2009 generated numerous fragments of orbital debris. Additionally, NASA’s data indicates a noticeable decrease in atmospheric drag; thus, researchers have come to understand that “climate change factors play a crucial role,” as stated by Parker.
